“if ATK’s Liberty Launcher wins a CCDev 3 round (it came in 2nd in CCDev 2)”

Let’s remember what the CCDev program is for. CCDev stands for Commercial Crew Development, and it’s goal is to:

“Stimulate efforts within the private sector to develop system concepts and capabilities that could ultimately lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services.”

In no way could you say that ATK’s proposal “came in 2nd” in the CCDev=2 competition. If you read the NASA CCDev-2 Selection Statement, on page 16 you’ll see that NASA said:

– No spacecraft manufacturer was interested in using the Liberty.

– ATK has not characterized the vehicle environments enough for NASA to have confidence that Liberty is appropriate for crew.

– Other potential crew launch vehicles, which already exist, did not get CCDev-2 funding because they are not on the critical path yet.

Call it a chicken-or-the-egg dilemma for ATK/Astrium, but NASA is not going to fund them for CCDev until they can prove that someone wants to use them, and likely no one will sign up to use them over ULA or even SpaceX until ATK/Astrium show that they are going to build Liberty (which they’re not as of yet).

Besides, the Liberty is far too big for the current class of CCDev spacecraft, since they fit fine on 10,000 kg class lifters, and the Liberty is in the 20,000 kg range.

What possible advantage could Liberty have that would entice a spacecraft manufacturer away from Atlas V or Falcon 9? Price? Availability? I don’t see Liberty ever flying.

Just a piece of trivia I wanted to share.

From Wikipedia:
Inherent contempt”

I’m not sure what your point here is. Per the article, the shortcut of inherent contempt hasn’t been employed since 1934.

It is interesting that there was an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics back then. (A measure of how important the nation saw that field back then.) But it’s just a coincidence that someone with that title was the last person this measure was used against.

FWIW…

From Wikipedia:
Inherent contempt

Presidential pardons appear not to apply to a civil contempt procedure such as the above, since it is not an “offense against the United States” or against “the dignity of public authority.”[8] (emphasis added)

I think the question answers itself.

NASA is not downsizing significantly.

Depends on how you measure ‘significance.’ NASA’s budget is projected as essentially flatlined for five years; shuttle folks and associated support staff/contractors etc., are destined for layoffs as the program ends; Constellation work is evaporating as well. Consolidation proposals across the board for government operations are all the buzz to cut costs in the Age of Austerity so NASA’s immediate future, immediate being the next 5-10 years is less than ‘stellar.’ But you go on believing otherwise.

“Oler, your time in law enforcement is to be commended. And Major Tom, if you think the Committee will not vote out a contempt charge quickly, then you haven’t been following this from the inside.”

My time in law enforcement was a happy sequel in my career of flying planes and kicking ass and managing larger and larger efforts. I found some natural joy both in low level interdiction, landing on taxiways at DFW, gun battles at the Phoenix airport, and landing in the dead of night on HWY 10 chasing a doper. But it also gave me a good feel for the notion and politics of subpoenas at the federal court level…and that seems to parallel my Dad’s experience in both state and federal government.

There is no chance whatsoever that the Democratic Senate is going to issue a contempt of the Senate vote for Charlie Bolden. To think that they are going to do that is laughable. I know it is the currency of the DIRECT fans who think “the law is on our side”, but all that shows is how ignorant they are of the process that make the federal government tick, processes that have been in place since the founding of The Republic. People like you really need to go look at the “goings on” behind what is now viewed as The Constellation class of frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794. If you can grasp that then you can figure out why the notion of a contempt of the SEnate against Charlie is ludicrous.

What we are seeing is the end game of killing a federal program. I know it is painful, but your side is losing. Just watch. By the end of summer all hope of a SDV will be gone…and people like you will have learned a valued lesson in civics..

I have not gotten a single significant thing wrong about space politics and policy since I predicted some years ago (shortly after Bush the last announced it) that the plan would falter by 2010.

As Bush the first use to say “watch listen and learn” RGO